Boys & Girls Club broken into again

Tuesday

Jul 16, 2013 at 10:46 AM

The Boys & Girls Club of Marion County has been burglarized again, this time the culprit - or culprits - left without getting anything or causing any more damage, Ocala Police Department officials said Tuesday.

By Austin L. MillerStaff writer

The Boys & Girls Club of Marion County has been burglarized again, though this time the culprit — or culprits — left without getting anything or causing any more damage, Ocala Police Department officials said Tuesday.Officers responded to the facility at 800 SW 12th Ave. and saw that someone had gone through a boarded-up door sometime overnight.Once inside, the burglar tried but failed to open a storage closet, officials said.The nonprofit agency that serves the community's children was badly vandalized over the weekend.Shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday, officers went to the club after receiving a burglary report. They saw broken out windows, broken mirrors in bathrooms, the shattered backboards of two basketball hoops and the smashed screen of a large television. The drains in the restroom sinks were plugged with wads of paper towels, and the water was left running.Several pieces of cardboard were jammed into the kitchen's gas stove and set on fire. The cardboard went out without the fire spreading, officials said.The only thing stolen was a mop handle, an official at the facility said.Employees estimate the damage was between $6,000 and $8,000.OPD is asking anyone with information to contact Detective Steve Daunhauer at 368-5405 or call the Crime Line at 369-7061. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 368-STOP (7867), visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com or send a text to 274637 using keyword 368STOP. You can also text "ocalapd" and a tip to TIP411.Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.